Jack's pheromones
by sophie-tardis
Summary: Title: Jack's pheromones Author: a Fandom/Orginal: Torchwood Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did, CoE would have ended differently. Scenes from S2E01 and S2E11 are mentioned. Warnings: Ianto/Jack pairing. Don't read if you don't approve. Hope you like it ;D


When Ianto came in at work, he knew Jack would be there. Jack always was.

Without looking, he knew he would find him behind his desk, looking at one object or the other.

It didn't matter what it was. Jack would drop it as soon as Ianto walked in. Jack would stand up and walk towards Ianto with a look in his eyes saying he missed him and was so glad to see him again.

Somehow, the slight hurt that was always in his eyes would break Ianto's heart. Sometimes it was worse, at other times he could hardly detect it, but as he walked in, it was always there.

Ianto would open up his arms and hold Jack for a bit, until they both felt whole again.

Then Jack would kiss Ianto. Ianto always waited until Jack took the initiative. It was their little rhythm. Their little ritual.

This time however, it didn't quite work out like that. As soon as Ianto set foot into the office, his nose began to tickle. When he held Jack into his arms, the tickle became increasingly worse. When they kissed, he wrinkled his nose to stop himself from sneezing. Finally he could bear it no longer and broke loose. Always quite the gentleman, he managed to pull a handkerchief out of his breast pocket and put it over his nose and mouth before he succumbed. 'Heh... huh... Hutchoo'. The sound was breathy and harsh. He looked up to find Jack staring at him, eyes filled with worry. 'You're not coming down with something, are you?' Ianto gave him his warmest smile. 'I do not believe I am, sir. Shall we continue?' He slowly closed his mouth over Jack's, drawing him back in an embrace. Kissing slowly at first, but getting more and more desperate as his nose started to bother him again. Too much surprised by Ianto's sudden enthusiasm and too much absorbed in the kissing, Jack didn't notice anything, until Ianto's breath was taken over completely by hitching, instead of panting. He softly disconnected his lips. 'It's okay, Ianto.' That was all he needed to say. Ianto understood. 'Huh... huuh... huuuh...' He retrieved the handkerchief again. 'Huuutchoo huuutchoo... hu... hutchoo.' Jack stood behind him, rubbing his back, kissing him softly on the cheek. 'Bless you.' He gave Ianto one of his radiating smiles. Ianto wiped his nose and tucked the handkerchief away. 'I should get going, sir. Those files won't sort themselves.' After one last kiss, Ianto walked out of Jack's office, moving to his own desk. Tosh would come in every minute now. Getting caught naked once was bad enough, he had no desire of repeating that. If he had continued kissing Jack, that would have been the inevitable outcome. His heartbeat accelerated considerably at the mere thought.

Although the loss of Lisa still caused a raw stab of grief whenever he thought of her, Jack now filled most of his heart and his thoughts.

Looking at his desk, he was reminded of the time when Jack first asked him out. It was in an office, looking for a canister. Jack had told him how exotic offices looked to him, the office romances, photocopying butts... Ianto still could not help but snicker at the memory. A shy Jack, that was a sight he rarely got to enjoy...

With a sigh he got to his paperwork.

Minutes later, Tosh came rushing in, throwing down her bag and started working on her computer, not noticing anything else. Ten minutes after her, Owen. Ianto got up again. It was time for his coffee round. Only Gwen was absent. Probably still in bed with Rhys, Ianto thought, feeling a small sting of desire when he glanced up at Jack's office.

When he entered the office again to bring Jack his coffee, Ianto's nose started to tickle again slightly, but it was hardly something that would be able to trigger a sneeze and vanished quickly. For one long moment they stared into each other's eyes, before Ianto took the remaining mug to next few hours were pure torture for poor Ianto. Nothing interesting happened all day, no extraordinary rift activity, nothing. And he was aching for Jack. Browsing through his memories was all he could do to get through the day. Normally, that was not so hard, but now there was nothing to distract him from wanting, no, needing Jack. So it came to pass that he, Ianto Jones, spent the day staring at files instead of sorting and filing them. Not that anyone noticed anyway. As long as they got their coffees...

By four in the afternoon, people started leaving, and by half past, Jack came down and startled Ianto by grabbing his shoulders from behind. He jumped up and turned around, breathing hard, hand on his gun. Seeing it was Jack, he relaxed a little. 'Are we... alone, sir?' Jack nodded. 'We have the Hub all to ourselves. Any suggestions?' Naughty, very naughty. Ianto was used nothing less from his boss. His mind was quickly scrolling through the options. Finding he could think of none, he did the only thing possible. He kissed Jack and kept kissing him until the inevitable happened.

When they were lying side by side, curled up against the other, Ianto abruptly broke away, frantically searching for his shirt, eyes suddenly tearing.

'Aaaahw, not in the mood for cuddles?' Jack teased. Ianto had not the breath to answer him, even though he had a witty retort handy. Before he could reach his clothes, the first sneeze caught up with him. 'Huuutchoo.' He barely had the time to draw another breath before the second one struck, and the one after that, and the one after that... 'Huuuuh... hutchoo hutchoo... heh... heh... huuuuutchooo hutchoo hutchoo hutchoo huuaaatchoo.' Lacking a handkerchief, he managed to catch them all in his hands. His upper body was thrown forward with every explosion. Tears dripped to the ground. He was unable to do anything else as his whole body was in the throes of a huge sneezing fit. By then, Jack had noticed there was something amiss and jumped up to his feet. He grabbed Ianto's shoulders, tried to stabilize him. 'Hey, heey, try to keep breathing. Is there anything you need?' With those words, he kissed him lightly on the head, holding him close. 'Huuuh... hand... huh... huuuh... handker... huuutchooo hutchoo hutchoo... huh... heh... handkerchief... huh... huuuuuh... hutchoo hutchoooo...' Jack hurried off to get one, not at all comfortable with leaving Ianto alone. He returned as soon as possible, pressing the item into Ianto's hands, going back to holding him as straight as possible. Meanwhile, Ianto traded his bare hands for the handkerchief, already feeling more than a little dizzy from lack of oxygen, grateful for Jack's comforting grip.

When finally the fit was over, Ianto allowed his knees to fail on him, feeling Jack lower him to the ground gently, taking place besides him. He looked up into the almost panicked face of his lover, and tried to say something to make the panic go away. 'I should clean the Hub more thorough next time.' Jack gave him a watery smile. 'You sound hoarse, do you need some water?' Ianto nodded weakly, not feeling up to speaking any more at the moment. His nose was still tickling, but he thought he was done sneezing for the time being. His head felt as if it could burst and his throat hurt pretty bad, so he was not in a hurry to get up. It did not take Jack long to return with a glass of water. He gently lifted Ianto's head to allow him to drink. 'Are you all right?' It was clumsy, but Ianto was grateful for the effort. 'Yep, better now. Thank you.' He tried to get up. Instantly, there were daggers stabbing his brain from all sides. Nevertheless, he managed to stand up very slowly. Staggering to the couch, he straightened himself up a bit. Jack followed closely. He was not at all sure Ianto was fine, or even something remotely resembling fine. Seeing him struggle to control his breathing, occasionally drawing a deep shuddering breath did not fit into his definition of fine. In a way he dared not acknowledge even to himself, every sharp inhale from the man besides him hurt. He could not see Ianto suffer, and yet he could not turn away either. All he could do was sit besides him and hold him as tight as he dared, with Ianto still gasping for air.

Finally, he could bear it no longer. He stood up and walked away. 'I've got to go', leaving Ianto all alone in the Hub.

While he walked away, he did not see a solitary tear drip down Ianto's cheek...

It took him a while to recover completely. It hurt that Jack had left. More than he was willing to admit. When he felt he was well enough to drive, he collecting his stuff and headed home.

The next morning, Ianto made sure to not come in first. He had no desire to be alone with Jack just yet. Not that anyone could see on the outside, but the pain of Jack turning away from him was still fresh in his mind. The past night he had been turning it over in his head again and again, and every time it had become more painful, the apparent rejection more obvious, until he had cried himself to sleep, where no-one could see him.

Nothing but a red tinge on the corners of his eyes betrayed that he had been crying. No-one noticed, not even Jack. He had suffered no more fits since the previous afternoon though, of which he was very grateful.

He went straight to his desk as he came in, pretending to be extraordinarily busy. Thank goodness for rift activity. His monitor was beeping. 'Another Weevil on the loose', he yelled through the Hub. 'Tosh, I'm sending you the coordinates NOW.' As he pushed 'send' he grabbed his coat and went out to get the SUV. He would pick up the rest from the invisible lift in a few minutes.

As they were driving along, Tosh was giving him directions. 'Left. Right. Five minutes until we'll reach our destination, if it does not move outside a radius of half a mile. If it goes south any further, we'll have to take a detour. It is still on the move, going eastwards at 2 miles an hour. LEFT!'

As he was driving along, his nose started tickling again. "Damnit, not now" he thought, while keeping his face in his usual mask, although his eyes were burning and bulging with internal pressure. With iron control, he managed to keep his breathing even and kept focussing on the road for as long as humanly possible.

When his breath started hitching, Jack instantly realised what was coming. 'Ianto, move over, I'm taking the wheel.' Grateful that Jack noticed, Ianto moved to the side, simultaneously pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket. He was not sure how good his driving skills would be if he could not see the road before him. It was just in time too. His eyes had already begun fluttering shut and he had hardly settled again before the sneezing began. It was even harsher than before. 'Huh...hueeeeeh... HUTCHOO... hutchoo huuaaatchoo hutchoo... heh... heh... HUUAAATCHOO...' Tosh jumped at the sound. 'Bless you' she said softly, her voice not quite being heard over Ianto's sneezing. Owen looked impressed. 'Didn't know you 'ad it in ya, mate.' Gwen was silent, looking out of the windows of the car for any sign of the weevil. Jack was shouting above the noise. 'Tosh! Directions!' He ignored Ianto's suffering, at least outwards. On the inside, he was suffering just as deeply. But now he had to focus on catching the weevil, before people started dying.

Ianto was doubling up with every sneeze, despite his best efforts not to. Tears were dripping from his eyes and he could do nothing to stop them from falling on his suit and the floorboard of the car. Sneeze after sneeze hit him, barely giving him any respite, no breathing pauses. It was even worse than last time. The tickle was driving him insane and the sneezing hardly brought any relief. He was getting dizzy, his head hurting from the sheer violence. 'Huuuh... hutchoo hutchoo hutchoo huuuaaaaatchoo... huuuuuuuuuuuh... huuuh... hutchoo hutchoo HUUAAATCHOO.' With that last one, he hit his head on the dashboard as he doubled up even further and the world went black.

In the car, things suddenly went very silent. Ianto was slumping forwards in his seat, obviously knocked out cold. 'Owen' Jack commanded, 'see to Ianto.' He parked the car. 'Tosh, Gwen, with me.' They followed Tosh's directions, running through multiple alleys, until they had tracked down the weevil. Usually, Ianto was the one catching it, aided by Jack, but this time, Gwen and Jack would have to manage together. 'Anyone brought the weevil-spray?' Tosh took a canister out of her pocket. 'Jack, catch.'

Within a minute, the weevil was cuffed and escorted to the back of the SUV. Ianto was still unconscious, and stayed that way during the drive back. Jack allowed someone else to take the wheel, needing to see how Ianto was doing, it didn't matter who drove or what the others were doing, all he could think of was Ianto, and now the crisis of the weevil had been resolved, he could allow himself to.

He sat next to him, gently stroked his hair, taking Ianto's head into his lap. 'Owen, how is he doing?' Owen cleared his throat. 'No concussion as far as I can determine now, but I would like to scan him when we get back to the Hub. He has been deprived of oxygen for a fair while, though I think no permanent damage is done. Still, I'd like to make sure when we get back.' Jack nodded. 'Of course.'

When Ianto woke up, he found himself lying on Owen's autopsy table. 'Wha... huh... hutchoo... what is going on?' He remembered having another fit, but after that, things became fuzzy and black. Owen responded. 'You knocked yourself clean out on the dashboard. Don't think I ever saw somebody sneeze that much though. You allergic to anything?' Ianto shook his head, something that hurt a little too much for his taste. 'Well, I reckon you are anyway. Blimey. I should run some test on it. Has this ever happened before?' Ianto blushed slightly. 'Ye... yesterday.' 'Wha? Two fits like that in two days? I'd better hurry. Who knows where you'll hit your head on next time...'

Ianto cautiously looked around, but did not see Jack. Being who he was, he could not ask Owen, who was coming at him with a needle at that point. 'I'll just take some blood and if you're feeling up to it, you can try getting off my table after that. Here, some anti-histamines, just in case.' After Ianto emptied the small cup containing a white pill and a bit of water, he obediently rolled up his sleeve and presented Owen with his bare arm. He hated needles. Not all needles, just the ones that were stuck into him.

When Owen removed the needle, Ianto slowly sat up, feeling distinctly dizzy with a side of knives stabbing his brain from all sides. Still, he got up, rolled back his sleeve, got to his feet and staggered off, only to collapse again on the couch, safely out of Owen's sight.

It was quite dark in the Hub. Almost everyone had gone home, then. He hazarded a glance at Jack's office. It was lit. Jack was still there. It felt good in a way. Knowing Jack was near, almost managed to cheer him up. 'Huh... heh... huchoo.' The sound was muffled and less throat-mangling, but still hurt him. Sighing, he got up again and walked in as straight a line as he could to his desk to get some aspirin. His head was now positively pounding even if he didn't move. He bent over to retrieve the strip of pills from one of his drawers and groaned softly when red-hot flashes of pain almost blinded him. He would not complain about it, he never complained about anything, really. Now he just needed a bit of water to swallow it with and then he could sit down on the couch again. He talked himself through it, wearing that impenetrable mask again that hid how he really felt, although he saw no-one during his little task.

Finally, he could slump down on the couch and rest a bit. It would take about half an hour for the aspirin to kick in and then he would try to sleep a little.

Owen set the computer to analyse Ianto's blood, seeking traces off all known allergies and went home for the night. He had planned on hitting the bars hours earlier, and was a bit grumpy he didn't get to go somewhere closer to that pre-set time.

Now it was only Ianto and Jack. Ianto wondered when Jack would come to him, if he would come at all. If he wasn't coming, Ianto was not climbing any stairs tonight, so tough luck for Jack. Those were the thoughts that occupied Ianto's mind while he slowly drifted off to sleep...

'Ianto. Ianto?' He slowly opened his eyes. 'Heeaaatchaaa' he sneezed. A fuzzy blob which turned out to be Jack jumped back. 'Wow, you almost scared me there.' Jack flashed him his trademark smile,which quickly turned into a concerned nervous one. 'How are you, Ianto?' "I was better before you woke me up" was his first thought, but he quickly waved that away. 'Fine, Jack.' He always was a bit grumpy just after someone woke him up in the middle of the night. Jack refused to leave it at that. 'Please, Ianto...' He could not finish the sentence, but Ianto knew it was a heartfelt plea, and immediately softened. Jack watched the mask vanish just a little bit. What he saw made him wish, just a little, that he hadn't. The throbbing headache came seeping through, and the hurt Ianto had hidden burst out in full force. Jack's first instinct was to turn away, but then he realised he couldn't keep running off every time things hit too close to home.

Instead, he sat down with Ianto and asked him again how he felt. This time, a small voice, which he almost didn't recognise, replied 'Why did you leave me last night?'. Ianto felt terrible for breaking down like this, but couldn't help it. He had let down his mask, now he had to suffer the consequences. For now, he at least managed not to start crying again. It made his nose stuffy and itchy, but it was a small price to pay for a last shred of control.

Jack was surprised. 'I... I... there was this... I...'

Secretly, Ianto was flattered. He did not think he ever saw Jack speechless before. Then he saw that pain in his eyes again, and knew. Softly, he kissed Jack on the lips, then hugged him. He felt tears dripping on his shoulder. 'Jack, it's ok. I'm here. It's ok.' He rubbed the older man's back and tried to comfort him. It was most unlike Jack to be so emotional. He was shaking against Ianto, sobbing wildly now. 'It... it hurts so much.' Jack almost choked on the words. So Ianto kept holding Jack, whispering meaningless comforts. Slowly, Jack stopped shaking, letting out only the occasional sob, his voice hoarse and raw. 'Come sir, let's get you to bed.' They were both restoring their masks, if only for a while. Jack nodded. 'Sure, but only if you'll come with me.' Ianto was barely able to suppress a smile. They were back at playing their normal games, although they both knew it was only for a short while. Ianto winced as he got up. Jack managed to hide his blooming headache just a little bit better. Jack grabbed his ass as they moved from the couch to Jack's bed. Ianto hung his clothes up on a hook, while Jack threw his randomly on the floor. Ianto glared at him for a moment and received an innocent smile in return. At least an attempt at an innocent smile. It did not succeed entirely, due to the watery eyes that accompanied it, and the fact that some mischief found its way in as well.

As they laid themselves down under the sheets, their masks were cracking again already. But they had known that in advance. Ianto, needing to comfort Jack, laid Jack's head on his chest, stroking his head, radiating a feeling of safeness and started whispering again. This time in Welsh. It always comforted Jack. He did not understood a word Ianto was saying, but the tone and the accent were enough. As they lay in each others arms, they felt complete, safe, at ease. The hurt was forgotten, at least for the moment, as they fell asleep against each other.

Jack was snoring peacefully when Ianto woke up. His nose was burning terribly. The anti-histamines must have ceased working, he thought.

He got up as quietly as he could and tiptoed away to get out of hearing distance, not wanting to disturb what little peace Jack had.

Trying his hardest not to sneeze, he hurried to the other side of the hub, crouching behind a pillar, handkerchief clutched to his mouth. Then he allowed himself to succumb to the fit. It was not so violent as the first two times, and this time he was able to breathe in between sneezes.

When it was over, he returned to the bed and settled against Jack, warming himself with Jack's body heat. Within seconds, he was sleeping again.

They were up long before anyone else showed up. Ianto went home to change his clothes.

When he came in again, a serious-faced Owen awaited him. 'I think you'd better sit down. I've figured it out, which is the good news... and the bad news.'

Ianto raised his brow at this, but sat down just in case. Owen continued. 'Well, all the test came back negative. But my unrivalled diagnostic skills have brought me the solution.' There he paused. Ianto suddenly felt a chill of foreboding, but kept his mask up and waited for Owen to complete his Sherlock Holmes imitation.

Owen looked at him expectantly. 'Oh, I'm supposed to be Watson?' Ianto sighed. 'O great Sherlock, what mysteries have you unravelled?' 'Well, I reckoned: if you don't react to any allergen known to man now, what could you possibly react to? You were only afflicted in the Hub and the SUV. What do these have in common? Yeah, that would be us. Which one of us could carry allergens that are unknown to man at the present time?' Ianto could not suppress a small choked sound. Damn, he could have known it, but he had hoped it would be something else. 'I take it you have now arrived at the same conclusion as I did.' Ianto nodded. Owen's voice softened just a tad. 'I've already talked to Jack, it could really only be his damnable posh pheromones you're allergic to. I took a sample and started working on a cure, but it can take a fair while. He told me you've had another fit.' Ianto was shocked that Jack had found out, he had been so very careful. A stab of guilt for disturbing Jack's rest almost made his heart stop for a moment. 'That means anti-histamines work only partially, but I'll stack you up just in case.' He turned and handed Ianto a small package. 'Twice a day with a wee bit o' water' he said, 'and oh yeah, until I find that cure', he gave a wicked grin, 'no more cuddles for the pair o' you.'

This time Ianto's heart stopped for real. Owen knew? How could he know? He must have dropped his mask for a moment, because Owen's grin deepened. 'You didn't think I'd know, did you?' Ianto could only shake his head. 'You never see yourself looking at Jack, do you? Your eyes betrayed you, Jonesy.' He grinned at Ianto's still shocked face. 'Well, don't you have coffee to make?'

Ianto quickly checked himself, reasserted the mask ever more firmly and marched off. He made sure that he waited half an hour after taking the anti-histamines before he brought Jack his industrial strength coffee. It was a bit later than usual, but he did not want to worry Jack by breaking into another fit. Jack had enough on his mind as it was. Gwen patted him on the back when he brought her her coffee, Tosh shot him a sympathetic look... Owen had gone back to being his usual rude self. Somewhere, he was grateful for that. Now there was only Jack. Ianto braced himself, ready to fight off any sneeze. He could not allow himself to worry Jack. As soon as he stepped into his office, he knew he should not talk too much, or he'd be in trouble. He set down the mug in silence and moved behind Jack.

He kissed him gently on the top of his head, and seized the opportunity of not being seen to scrunch up his face in an attempt to lessen the tickle in his nose. Jack turned his head and kissed Ianto gently on his lips. 'Shoo... you shouldn't be here. Doctors orders.' Ianto suppressed the urge to smile, half in exasperation, at Jack and left. Outside, he needed to force himself to get out of Jack's hearing or seeing range before he exploded. The farthest he could reach was the autopsy room. The lowest point would not be visible for Jack and if he placed himself right, he could also avoid the CCTV. Owen looked at him questioning when Ianto pushed himself into a corner, handkerchief pressed to his face. 'Huuuuuuh... huuuuaaatchoo... hutchoo hutchoo... huuuuuuuuuuuh... huuuuh... huuuuuaaatchoo.' That last one seemed to rid his nose of the tickle that had been driving him bonkers. He immediately felt much better, although he needed a moment to catch his breath. 'Fuck, Ianto, I told you not even an hour ago: no cuddling Jack.' Ianto gasped and gave Owen an indignant look. 'I... I didn't cuddle him. I just brought him coffee.'

Owen rolled his eyes. 'You were meant to stay clear of him for as much as possible. Get Tosh to bring him his coffee or something.' Ianto winced a little, then rolled his eyes back at Owen. 'Yes mommy.' Owen shot him a foul look and Ianto knew better than to stay within striking distance. Owen glanced a little too much in the direction of his ten blade for Ianto's taste. He hurried off.

Tosh asked him to look at some rift activity, he went to feed Myfanwy and Janet, mucked out everything that needed mucking out, handed out another round of coffee, went to check on the tourist office and by then, the day was pretty much over. Gwen went home first, having promised Rhys to make dinner, then Toshiko packed up her stuff. Owen lingered for a while, waving a stern finger at Ianto, warning him not to do anything to trigger another full-blown attack. Ianto shrugged it off and told Owen he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. 'Yes, I'll be a good boy. Now go home.' This earned him another foul look. Ianto didn't care. He'd clean up some more before going home. He doubted it would be wise to sleep in Jack's bed that night.

He took his second tablet of the anti-histamines when he felt his nose tickling faintly again and got on with his work.

He was startled by a soft tap on his shoulders. He spun on his heels. 'Jack!' his tone was filled with relief, 'you scared the hell out of me.' Jack just grinned. 'I... I've missed you all day.' Coming from Jack, that was practically an 'I love you'. Ianto flushed a little, knowing this but all too well. 'I've missed you too.' Jack moved a little closer, ready to step back the minute Ianto started to wrinkle his nose. 'How are you, Ianto?' The tone was gentle, devoid of the usual flirtatious undercurrent. Jack was really making an effort. 'Much better.' His resolve at going home was already fading. Jack looked him straight in the eye. 'Really?' 'Really.' This time, a smile lit up his features. The worry-wrinkles partially disappeared. Hesitating, he inched a bit closer still, intently observing Ianto. When Ianto's face showed no signs of an allergic reaction, he chanced kissing him. A chaste little kiss on his lips. When he tried to pull away again, he found Ianto held him in place, kissing him back.

When Jack really got into it, Ianto's mind began to spin. Jack always had that effect on him. Going home, obeying Owen's orders, was completely forgotten. All he wanted was to spend the night in Jack's arms. They slowly moved to the couch, not for a moment leaving the other's lips. Ianto's nose was twitching a little, but neither of them noticed. They were too much absorbed into the other.

They were going on in this fashion for a fair while when Ianto suddenly broke loose with an enormous, uncovered 'HUUUUAAAAATCHOOOO!' His body shook against Jack with the sheer force of the sneeze that had given them no warning. Ianto cursed himself for the lack of control. Especially as he felt Jack withdraw, looking like a hurt puppy. A particularly aroused hurt puppy, but still... Ianto tried to draw Jack close again, having no intention at all of foregoing the pleasure they had been involved in before the interruption. Jack resisted weakly. 'No, Ianto. I can't have you suffering because of me.' Ianto held him closer still. 'I'm not suffering. Please Jack... I promise, if it gets too bad, I'll go away.' A little smile crept up on Jack. Ianto sneezed again, this time less violent, although he did tremble a bit against Jack's body. 'I don't know', hesitated Jack, 'It does have an interesting feel to it, when you shake against me like that.' He showed Ianto his naughtiest smile.' Ianto could see Jack practically squirm underneath him, as they had lain down again. Ianto purred softly into Jack's ear, resisting another sneeze. 'Would you like for me to shake against you again, sir?' Jack gasped a breathless affirmative. It was not hard for Ianto to comply, since he was already on the verge. 'Huh... huuuuuh...' he breathed, managing half a smile when Jack couldn't suppress a pleased sound. It was not often he got to do something new to Jack, something Jack had never done before. He wanted to draw out the pleasure as much as he could. Frankly, he couldn't care less if he knocked himself out again, were it not that he needed to spare Jack that pain. All he wanted was to please the man who meant the world to him. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer, 'huuuuuh... huuuutchooo'. It was slightly harsher than he had hoped, but Jack failed to register that. Soon, he felt the urge to sneeze yet again, but fought it back. If he succumbed too many times, Jack would pull away again. The mere thought hurt him so much, almost enough to ruin his mood. A tender kiss from Jack erased all thoughts from his mind. 'Huuuuuuuuuh... huuh... huuuuuuuuh...' Ianto's breath was hitching once again. The itch threatened to escalate into a small fit. 'Huuuuuuuuuuh... huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh...'. Not now, he thought. Hold out for just another minute. He felt Jack starting to pull back again. At that point, he felt he could not hold out a second longer: 'HUUUUUUUUU... HUUUUUUAAAAAATCHOOOOOO'. That was not enough to rid him of the tickle and the outburst was followed by not less than eight semi-loud 'hutchoo's'. When he could breathe again, he noticed that Jack started to speak, but Ianto did not want to hear it. Finding he desperately needed to blow he nose, he excused himself and retreated to the bathroom.

He blew his nose until he could breathe freely again and waited until the tickle died down completely. He cleaned himself up and took a quick leak.

On his return, he collected their clothes, folding them neatly and depositing them on Jack's desk before returning to the couch. When he saw Jack was asleep, he sneaked back, dressed himself and went home. Before he left he kissed Jack gently on the fore-head and tucked him in. He never as much as stirred. Ianto smiled, he had worn out his captain. That too was something that rarely happened. Overall, it had been a great day.

When Jack woke up, Ianto had gone. It brought on a momentary sting of loss, but then he remembered why it was advisable they did not spent too much time together. Poor Ianto. He thought about their activities earlier. A small part kept nagging that it had been wrong to have Ianto suffering for such an egoistic reason, even though Ianto told him he wanted to do it. And it had been good, really good. Jack shivered at remembering the sensations that had shook him to his core. He felt a little guilty for wanting to do that again. There was not much that made Jack feel so young, so mortal, but Ianto always managed it. With Ianto, Jack felt like he belonged. Not immortal, not a time-traveller, not so damaged that at times he did not think he could take the pain any more. Ianto took that away and made him feel young, alive, wanted. In all his years, he had never met someone who could do that for him. The Doctor too made the pain disappear for a small while, but not like Ianto.

Ianto stole a few hours of sleep, trying to ignore the part of him that wanted to go back to the Hub and snuggle against Jack. He knew the anti-histamines could only take that much. He sighed and closed his eyes. He misses the warm comfort of Jack, the sound of his soft breathing when Ianto lay awake, the smell that was uniquely Jack... Jack always managed to make him forget...

As he turned in for work, monitors were beeping all over the place. He was greeted by a frantic Tosh, fidgeting Owen and a Jack obviously taking the lead, slipping in to Captain-mode – as Ianto referred to it – without an effort. He figured there would be a need for coffee very soon. He disappeared into the kitchen, quickly prepared the cups before hastily returning to the rest of the team. 'What's the emergency?', he asked casually as he handed out the mugs. Gwen seemed the least occupied at the moment, thus he repeated his question to her when he received no immediate answer. 'Unidentified thing has come out of the rift. Tosh is gathering as much info as she can. We'll be heading out shortly.' When Ianto involuntary took a small step back, she realised just what she had said. 'Oh, Ianto, I didn't mean it like that. I just... because what happened the last time... it just... it seemed better not to risk that again. I really didn't mean it like that.' Ianto gave her one of his usual smiles. 'Don't worry about it.' Jack had a momentary lapse of attention when the sweet sound of those Welsh vowels reached his ears. Not now Jack. He had to be firm with himself. There is a place and a time. And this was definitely neither. He looked at the screen again. Definitely. He felt terrible for leaving Ianto behind like that, when he still felt like he should try harder to fit in with the rest of the team. Still so insecure. Jack sighed without a sound. 'Ianto, would you mind staying here, keeping an eye on the monitors and call if anything comes up?' Ianto tried to give Jack a genuine smile, but failed. 'Of course, sir. Anything else?' Jack knew the right words, but could not say them. 'No, that would be all.' Ianto merely nodded and watched the others leave. Jack turned around for one last glance, but all he saw was Ianto's back.

Ianto was sniffing discreetly. When he was sure everyone was gone, he let out a quiet sneeze. Well, he was all alone in the Hub. Time to catch up on some paperwork and cleaning, before they would come in again and just be in the way. He did make sure to stay within range of Tosh's workstation, just in case anything went wrong. He actually had quite an efficient morning, nothing happening to distract him until past noon.

A distraught Jack almost shouted into his ear. 'Ianto, I need you to clear the way from the invisible lift to sick bay. Gather every bandage and all the disinfectant you can find. We'll be down in a minute. HURRY!' He jumped up and started following the instructions. He prided himself on being efficient in the face of disaster, and seen from the way Jack had spoken to him that pretty much seemed to be the case. Thus everything was ready when the rest of the team was stumbling off the invisible lift. Jack and Gwen were half-carrying, half-dragging a pale Owen and unconscious Tosh. Ianto jumped in to take Owen off their hands. With four hands to carry Tosh, she was lying on the autopsy table before Ianto had taken Owen halfway there. Ianto planted Owen in a chair, for the table was already occupied and the couch was too far away. Owen swallowed with visible effort. 'Tosh is going to be sooooo pissed when she sees what's left of her laptop.' Gwen was wide-eyed, mumbling something about claws and teeth. They all appeared to be in shock, even Jack, who slumped down on the stairs of the medical facility, breathing heavily.

Ianto felt he had no choice but to take control, although he had no clue about what had happened. He took a deep breath. OK, inventory of the injuries. At first sight, Tosh seemed to be hurt the worst. Owen was pale and clutched a hand to his side, blood seeping through. Gwen seemed fine, apart from the shock. He could not see how bad Jack was hurt, but he knew that saving his mortal team mates was more important.

Jack could die and it would break his heart, but he would wake up again and be healed, physically at least. 'Jack, what are the injuries?'

Jack opened his eyes slowly. 'Owen has a deep gash in his side and some superficial bite marks. Tosh...' Ianto saw Jack struggling to stay awake. He walked over to him and held Jack's head up with his hands. 'Jack, I need to you focus only on me now. I need you to stay with me for a little longer.' On the inside he was screaming "Don't die! Don't die, please" to Jack, despite the calm on the outside. 'Tosh and Gwen, Jack. Tell me what happened, so I can try to save them.' Even if I can't save you, he added silently. Through focussing on Jack, he kept the panic and imminent heartbreak at bay, for now it was obvious that Jack was indeed dying. 'Gwen... is fine. Not hurt. Just shock.' Damn, Jack couldn't formulate a sentence any more. Focus, Ianto, focus. 'Tosh?' Jack frowned. 'Tosh, hurt. Bleeding stopped, poison...' Suddenly, he grabbed Ianto, hardly recognising him. 'Help her!' Then he closed his eyes again, letting out a deep sigh.

Ianto felt Jack slipping away. He wanted to do anything to stop him from dying, but knew he had to turn away.

He swallowed painfully and turned to shake Gwen. He knew his voice held a tone of hysteria, but he didn't care. 'Gwen, Gwen, Jack is out. It's just you and me. Help me to take care of Tosh and Owen.' Tears were streaming down his face, but he couldn't care less. Some times, it just wasn't worth the effort of keeping his mask in place.

Gwen was trying to pull herself together. Ianto tore away Owen's clothes to look at the severity of his injuries. From what Jack had said, he knew he needed Owen. He was no bloody medic. Simple wounds he could deal with, but poison?

'Owen?' Owen looked at him, his eyes showing how much the pain was dazing him. 'I need you to help Tosh. Are you up to it?' Owen groaned in pain as he stirred in his chair. Luckily, his medical training bypassed his brain. 'OK, hand me some painkillers from the top drawer over there.' Gwen rushed to it. 'Ianto, bandages.'

Gwen handed him the painkillers. Owen jammed one of the needles in his leg. 'Thanks. Ianto?' Ianto ran back with his arms full of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant. 'Gwen, push on the wound with this cloth to stop the bleeding. Ianto, wrap the bandage around my torso really tight. Make sure it can't shift and that it keeps the cloth in place.' He grabbed the disinfectant and sprayed it liberally on his wounds. He could not help but wince at the flare of pain that seemed to consume him entirely. 'Damn' he muttered under his breath.

When the painkillers kicked in, Owen felt much better. The wound had stopped bleeding, although he was a bit light headed from the massive blood loss. It didn't matter, at least now he was up to facing Tosh. He asked Gwen and Ianto to move him and the chair closer. It seemed foolish to try and stand up. The table could be lowered anyway.

Ianto started muttering. 'Ianto, speak up' Owen commanded. 'J... Jack said something about poison.' Owens face contracted. 'Yeah, the buggers were poisonous. I escaped it, but they got Jack and Tosh.' He took a small vial out of his pocket. 'I managed to collect a sample.' He was in doubt for a second. Who could he use best at his side and who should he send away to analyse the sample? 'Gwen, I need you to analyse this sample and try to find the antidote.' Ianto could remain calm when needed, Owen was not so sure about Gwen. She needed something to take her mind off things, that needed all her attention, giving her no time to get around all that was happening, no opportunity to break down.

'Oi, tea boy, did you happen to see how the poison killed Jack?' He tried to keep his tone as light as possible, keeping the pain at bay, for both of them. 'He... he had trouble breathing and... and he kept trembling just a little bit.' Until he said it, he hadn't even really registered the event. He shrugged and waited for Owen's next instruction. 'The poison attacks the muscles then. Shit. We have to stop it from reaching her heart. Freeze her or something. Anything.' He looked up at Ianto. Freezing people was his area of expertise, although it mostly concerned dead people. Ianto cleared his throat. 'Shouldn't we first check her for other injuries?' Owen bit his lip. 'Yes', he said bluntly, 'we should. But we don't know how fast this poison will spread through her body. I say we freeze her, then ask questions. I just hope that when her blood flow stops, the poison will stop spreading further.' Ianto wasted no more time. In a desperate silence, he put Tosh in cryogenic suspension. Now there was nothing to do but wait for Gwen to figure out the poison. 'Owen, try to rest', Ianto said, offering to bring him a stretcher to lie on. Owen gratefully took the offer, sleeping before his head touched the pillow.

Ianto found he could not face Gwen. He could not face anyone at the moment. Now the first rush of the crisis was over, there was nothing to keep him from grieving over Jack. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he made a mental note to clean all the blood from the floor as soon as everyone was gone. Something that was so automatic, he didn't even fully register it as the rest of him was stumbling towards Jack. Although he knew Jack would wake up, his heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest and smashed into a thousand little pieces. "All the king's horses, and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again." He smiled a little wry smile. The tears that had dried only minutes ago started running again. He pulled Jack up, dragged him across the Hub and laid him down on the couch. Then he sat down and looked at Jack, filled with affection and grief. His face contracted and he felt his breath start to hitch with a monstrous tickle. He fought his hardest to keep it in check. This was about Jack, he couldn't give in to it and claim the attention, even if he himself were the only witness. 'Huh... huuuuuh...' He managed to keep it in check, for the moment. He cradled Jack's head, softly closing the eyelids, slowly rocking it in his lap. Softly, he kissed Jack's forehead. It almost caused him to lose control again completely. He did not care that his tears soiled Jack's shirt, but he refused to let this bloody allergy get the best of him, now Jack wasn't alive to enjoy the side-effects.

From the corner of his eye he saw Gwen working, entirely focussed on the job at hand. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in a steady current. It was oddly comforting. 'Heh... huuuuuh... huuuuuuh...' Damn, he thought. He softly blew his nose to get rid of the tickle. Jack was still not showing any signs of coming back to life. Ianto supposed it was the poison. His body needed to get rid of it first. Damn it Jack, come back. Come back for me. Ianto poured all of his desperation in that silent plea. He kept rocking Jack's limp body, crying, fighting his body for every inch of control for an indefinable amount of time. Finally, he felt he was losing the battle. 'Huh... huh... huuuueeeh... huuuuuuuuuuuuh... huuuuuuuuuuuuuh...' Before he could explode, he felt a finger under his nose, halting the impending sneeze. It was not his. Ianto's heart stopped for a moment. 'J-Jack?' he managed to whisper. He tentatively opened his eyes. Jack was smiling up at him. 'Ianto Jones, didn't Owen tell you to avoid being close to me?' Ianto could hear in his voice that he didn't mind at all. He struggled to reply. 'I believe... huh... he m-mentioned some... heh... something like that.' Jack shifted a bit, keeping his finger in place, until he was holding Ianto tight with his free arm, whilst being able to look into his beautiful blue-grey eyes. Ianto was looking terrible. The blue-grey eyes were bloodshot, his nose was swollen and twitching, his lips were pale from biting them. Jack cradled him closer. 'It's OK. You can let go now.' He understood what Ianto had been doing for him. Not much escaped his eye.

He removed his finger, allowing the younger man in his arms to explode with an almost screamed 'huuuuuaaaaaa... huuuuaaaatchooooo!' It was loud enough to attract Gwen's attention. 'Bless you, Ianto.' 'Thanks', he shouted back at her, not wanting to share Jack yet, needing just a little more time alone with him. Jack grinned, following Ianto's train of thought. Ianto always needed a bit of extra confirming Jack was really alive whenever he had been dead. But first Jack needed to know the current state of his entire team, not just of his lover. 'What happened while I was gone?' At this mention, Ianto's eyes became suspiciously moist again. Jack rubbed his back, trying to put him at ease.

His voice was strangely strangled when he started to talk. 'Owen's wounds are taken care of. He is sleeping now. I'll bring him another painkiller in a few hours. Gwen is analysing the poison. She is fine, just a bit in shock still.' Then he hesitated. 'And Tosh?' Jack pressed, the need to know severely testing his patience. 'We froze her until we can counteract the poison.' Jack swallowed and pulled Ianto closer. Who took the opportunity to snuggle in to Jack's chest.

Still, Jack was not at ease. He gently detached from Ianto. 'I'm sorry', he whispered. Ianto nodded and got up.

As soon as he was standing, the mask slipped into place. 'Excuse me, sir.' He swiftly walked away. It hadn't been the kind of "sir" that made Jack's knees go weak, it had been the bad kind, the kind that made Jack cringe. Jack heard his breath hitch softly. It did not escape his notice either that Ianto paused by Owen's stretcher, tugging him in almost tenderly. It brought a shaky smile to his face.

Although still a bit weak in the knees, Jack walked up to Gwen, who dropped everything she was doing when she saw him approach. Her eyes brightened. 'Jack!' she called out and enveloped him in a hug. Jack allowed her that much. Then he took on his distant-leader-role again. 'Gwen, how is the antidote coming along?' She flashed him a quick smile. 'Almost ready Jack. It's good to have you back. How are Owen and Tosh?' Jack frowned. 'Sleeping and frozen, respectively. Ianto's waiting on your results. Good job.' Gwen nodded and went back to her screen, typing something into her terminal. Then Jack went to see the others.

Passing the bathroom, he heard Ianto sneezing harshly with his already raspy voice. The sound was repetitive and almost heartbreakingly painful. 'Huuuh... huuurtchoo... hutchoo hutchoo hutchooooo... heh... heh... huuuueh... huuuurtchoo huuaaatchoo...' He was very much tempted to go in, but refrained. When he saw Ianto again, he needed to be able to stay with him for a while. He knew he could not pop in for a quick kiss when Ianto was hurt.

Owen was snoring with his mouth open, very pale but he seemed to be out of danger. Jack smiled as he saw how well Ianto had taken care of him. His chest swelled with a sort of fatherly pride, especially when he saw how carefully Tosh had been laid out in the freezer unit. Ianto had been meticulous. He would have expected nothing less, but still, in this kind of crisis... he was proud of Ianto. Really proud. Did Ianto know that? He should tell him sometime.

Ianto looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit. Felt like that too. His eyes were puffy and he still could not stop sneezing. His throat was aching, his head throbbing, his suit rumpled. At least he could do something about the last. 'Huuuuuh... heeeeh... huuuaaaaatch...' Although he knew it was pointless, he kept struggling to stop the fit. He had to clutch the edges of the sink to keep standing. He blew his nose once again, only to be launched into another fit. 'Hutchoo... huuuuuh... uuuh... hutchoo... huh... heh... huuuuaatchooo hutchoo hutchoo hutchooooo... huuuuuurh... HUUUUUAAAATCHOOO... heeeeh... huh... huuurtchoo...' It felt like the tickle was beginning to fade. What time was it? Ianto had been too preoccupied to keep track of time. He took a quick glance at his watch, before he was overtook by yet another sneeze. Ten thirty, p.m. No wonder he felt horrible. He had been due for another dose of anti-histamines hours ago. Now where had he put the damned things? He furiously patted his pockets, all feeling dreadfully empty. He knew they had to be somewhere in the Hub... he had taken them this morning while he were already here, hadn't he? 'Huuuurtchoo... heh... heh... huuuutchoo...' He tried to sigh, halfway through interrupted by the he-did-not-know-how-many-eth sneeze. His plan had been not to leave the bathroom until he were presentable. Couldn't anything go as he planned? With quiet resignation he decided it couldn't be helped. With a handkerchief pressed to his face, he quickly crossed the space of the Hub to his desk, hoping Jack wouldn't notice.

Jack smiled when he saw Ianto pass, trying so hard to go unnoticed. He'd go to him in a minute, find out what was wrong. First, he needed to check on Gwen's progress again and take Owen's vitals, not necessarily in that order. There wasn't anything he could do to help Tosh. He felt tears burn behind his eyes. He failed his team... again. And he had failed Ianto. That stung the worst...

He quickly took Owen's vitals. His blood pressure was a bit low, but not dangerously so. Then he moved on to Gwen. As he was looking at the results from her analysis, he realised he could not go to Ianto. Not while he was in such a state. Jack was the cause, the sole cause of Ianto's suffering. He let out a resigned sigh, hardly noticeable. It escaped Gwen's observation.

Ianto would have seen, he pouted.

'Gwen, I'm taking over for a while. Go check on Ianto, see if he's OK. I've already checked on the others. After you've report to me, go home and get some sleep. I need you to be rested when you come back in tomorrow. Just let me know how Ianto is before you go home to Rhys.' Gwen opened her mouth to protest, but Jack cut her short. 'It is not negotiable. Go home. We'll call you if we need you.' He saw Gwen walk away, arms thrown up in resignation, and sunk down in a chair, his legs unable to support him any longer.

Gwen sought out Ianto, who was frantically rummaging through drawers and looking into bins with the handkerchief still pressed to his face. Every few seconds, he would stop, close his eyes, throw back his head and sneeze. Gwen felt sorry for him. She gently tapped his shoulder. He jumped. 'Ianto, are you OK? Can I help you find something?' He turned to her with watery eyes. 'Anti-hi... hiii.. histamines... hutchoo. L-lost them h-h-here s-somewh-where.' Gwen felt the urge to hug him. 'Oh Ianto.' What she wanted to say was more along the lines of "poor you", but she felt Ianto would not appreciate that. 'Can you remember where you saw them last?' Ianto shook his head and sneezed again. Gwen thought of other places where Ianto could have left them. Of course, the kitchen. She hurried off, finding them where she suspected them to be, on top of the coffee machine. Ianto had to be feeling really bad if he forgot something like that. He never lost anything. She quickly filled a glass with water and returned to him. 'Here you go love.' She tried to hold his head still, but he shot her an annoyed look. He gulped the down the water with the tablet. 'Thank you, Gwen.' He put down the glass and turned his back to her. She heard him sneeze, muffling the sound with the handkerchief before blowing his nose as quietly as he could. Then he turned back. 'Ianto... how do you feel?' She knew how stupid it sounded, but had to ask anyway. 'Jack is worried sick about you' she added softly. 'Tell him I'm fine.' He had frozen at those words, his face an impenetrable mask. Gwen knew the conversation was over. It didn't matter what she said now, so she said nothing.

Jack could not hide the eagerness in his voice when Gwen returned. 'How is he?' She managed a watery smile. 'He had lost his anti-histamines, but we found them. He told me to tell you he's fine. He really needs you to be there for him, Jack. Don't fail him again.' She flashed him her "or else" look and left, leaving Jack frustrated and with a big lump in his throat he could hardly breathe around. Ianto...

He typed in a few final commands and the computer confirmed his suspicions. The anti-dote was ready. Jack steeled himself and went to Ianto. His meds hadn't fully kicked in yet, so Jack kept his distance. 'Ianto, I've got the antidote. Help me administer it to Tosh.' He was glad to see Ianto was wearing his mask again for once. 'Yes sir. Shall I prepare her?' Jack nodded. 'I think it would be advisable were you to s-stay away during that process.' With difficulty he refrained from sneezing. He would show no weakness. Not now.

When Jack thought it safe to venture into the medical bay, Tosh was lying on the autopsy table. Ianto had efficiently reversed the cryogenic suspension and waited for Jack before he initiated the last stage of her revival. 'I presume you know how to administer it.' Jack nodded breathless. 'Then please do it now. I'll start her heart as soon as you're done.'

They both held their breath as Tosh started breathing again. The vitals on the monitor indicated she was fighting the poison. She was breathing on her own, which was a good sign. They released their breath in unison, smiling weakly. 'Ianto, get some rest. I'll stay with Tosh and Owen. You look exhausted. You can use my bed if you like.' He held his breath again, hoping he had not overstepped any boundaries. Nothing in Ianto's face gave him any clue. 'Thank you sir, are you sure you'll be all right?' Jack felt the fist around his heart unclench just a little. 'I'll manage, although I won't mind a cup of your perfect coffee.' He tried to be as flirtatious as possible. 'As you wish.' Ianto only half-hoped Jack wouldn't get the reference.

Two cups of coffee later, Ianto collapsed onto Jack's bed. Without bothering to remove anything but his shoes and tie, he fell asleep on top of the blankets.

When he woke up, he felt the recent loss of body heat at his back. He had turned to his side. In front of him, on the night stand, he found a glass of water and a familiar-looking tablet. Next to it he found a note with handwriting he recognised as Jack's scribbles. Tosh and Owen awake. Will return as soon as possible. Ianto felt his heart flutter in his chest. Jack was really trying if he went as far as to leave a note instead of just disappearing, especially when Ianto hadn't been awake all the time he had been with him. It made him just that little bit extra unlike a part time shag. He was still hesitant about calling it love, no matter how deep his own feelings ran. And they ran deep, despite his consistent denying. He was wide awake, so there really was no point in staying down there. Maybe they could use him in the medical bay. He took his tablet, knowing the last one couldn't have worn off yet, put on his shoes and tie again, straightened himself up before the mirror and joined the rest of the team in the medical bay.

Owen's bandages had been changed, presumably by Jack and Tosh was staring up at the ceiling. Her pupils weren't dilated. Good sign. Jack was sitting with her, holding her hand, looking worried. 'Oi, teaboy.' Ianto was treated to Owen's usual greeting. Jack looked up. Ianto cleared his throat. 'How's the situation here?' Owen was the one to answer. 'I'm fine, thank you for your concern. Just a bit bloody here and there.' Ianto rolled his eyes. 'The antidote has worked well, her body seems to have metabolised the poison by now. Her other injuries are minor. Still, the strain has been considerable. That'll be at least a week of bed rest for you, Tosh.' He aimed the last words in the general direction of Toshiko. 'Yes Owen, I know' came the slightly louder than whispered return. Ianto felt incredibly relieved at hearing her voice. 'Now tell me again what happened to my laptop?' Owen turned bright red and started muttering. Ianto saw Tosh smile faintly. Yes, she definitely was recovering.

He shot a worried look at Jack. How was he holding up? He seemed worried but fine. Ianto relaxed just a little bit. He put one hand on Jack's shoulder and squeezed softly. Jack took that as his cue to leave. 'Owen, can you handle things here by yourself?' Owen nodded, his face contracting as it strained the sore muscles.

They were kissing. Jack was holding him, kissing him, pulling him ever closer, their tongues caught up in a desperate wrestling match, almost on the border of wild abandon. That was, until Ianto felt his throat clenching so tight he could hardly breathe.

Wheezing all of a sudden, he broke loose. 'Can't... breathe...' he managed to push past the building barrier before he passed out.

Jack caught him before he fell and scooped him up in one fluent motion. His heart suddenly felt like the 'Risen mitten' had it in a very, very tight grip.

After Owen had done a quick examination, he turned to scold Jack. 'Did I not tell you to stop snogging? Now see what you and your lovely fifty-first century pheromones did. Tea boy has gone into anaphylactic shock.' He picks up a syringe and injects Ianto with it. 'Good thing I were here, because otherwise teaboy would've choked by now.' He paused for a second. 'For God's sake, Harkness, stop shaking.'

Jack tried to stop his hands from trembling violently. 'W-will Ianto be OK?' he asked, a tremor finding it's way into his voice. Owen growled. 'If you stay away from him, he'll be fine. When he wakes up, the first thing you are going to do is apologize and then I want you out of here.' Jack nodded, too badly shaken to protest.

Ianto gasped softly when his throat opened up again. Jack looked up, eyes overflowing with emotion. 'Ianto?' 'Yes, sir?' Ianto croaked. Owen had the good decency to walk away for a moment, mumbling something about checking on Tosh. 'Ianto, I'm so sorry.' His voice was impossibly shaky. He choked back a sob. 'I...' Ianto put a finger on his lips and looked up at him, his eyes filled to the rim with pure love. 'It doesn't matter. It was as much my fault as yours.' It was still hard to talk, and he kept wheezing a little, but he had to tell Jack it wasn't his fault. 'You didn't know. We both didn't know this would happen.' He saw Jack bite his lip. 'Jack, it's OK. Owen will find a cure and then we can continue what we were doing earlier.' He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Jack let out a short strangled laugh. 'I'll make you keep that promise.' 'Good.' Ianto coughed. In a moment Jack was there to hold him upright, rub his back. The proximity made Ianto want to sneeze again, but he fought it valiantly. Jack still noticed though. Abruptly, he withdrew. 'I... I should go. Are you sure you'll be OK?' Ianto nodded. Jack didn't look back...

Ianto woke up, still in the small room he had woken up in after Owen injected him with adrenaline. He hadn't realised he had drifted off again. Still so tired...

He could breathe normally again, which was a blessing, but it still still felt like he had a stone lying on his chest. He had hurt Jack again. Damn.

Tentatively, he tried to get up. The world wasn't spinning any more. Good. He decided there was only one thing he could do now. The one comfort he could bring to his team mates. He would make coffee. His steps were still a bit uncertain, but he felt he could mask that easily by walking slowly.

He made it to the coffee machine without incident, which made him feel just a little better about himself. If Jack would have seen him then, he would have remarked that Ianto looked very young. Good thing he didn't, for it would have brought tears to his eyes.

When he handed out the brew, he got a grateful smile from Gwen, who had just come in again, looking like she had not gotten much sleep. Tosh whispered 'thank you, Ianto' when he brought her a very weak cup of tea. Owen outright ignored him and Jack shot him a desperate look, unable to speak. Ianto winced at that look. He couldn't bear to see Jack hurting. It awakened instincts he didn't knew he had. He felt the urge to cradle Jack's head against his chest, talk to him in hushing tones... His heart seemed to grow three sizes whenever Jack was near. It was terribly disconcerting. As Ianto walked away, Jack trusted his voice enough to speak. 'Ianto, we still need cleaning up after yesterdays events. Could you...?' Ianto nodded. 'Of course, sir.' Jack shot him a grateful look. 'The list of names is on Tosh's lapt...' He swallowed loudly. 'I'll give you the names.' He looked subdued. Ianto avoided his eyes. There was only so much he could take. 'I'll get right to it.'

Ianto was very efficient, even though he was still a bit wobbly on his legs. He erased the data from a witness' computer, went out (in his own car) to retcon all of them and was back in the Hub within hours.

Gwen had been sent home by Jack, who had been hiding in his office ever since, brooding. Owen was lying on a makeshift bed close to Tosh. She was still lying on the autopsy table, although now snuggled beneath a thick blanket instead of covered by only a sheet. They were both asleep.

After Ianto made sure Jack was not watching, he sneaked over and tugged them in. He planted a quick kiss on Tosh's forehead. This display of emotions caused him to flush a little.

Taking a deep sigh, he knocked on the door of Jack's office. 'Come in' came the distracted reply. Ianto cautiously opened the door. A wave of pheromones hit him like a wall and he felt his lungs protest. Slowly, he took a deep breath, finding himself still able to. He did not venture further into the office. 'If you won't be needing anything else, sir, I will go home now.' Part of him wanted Jack to ask him to stay. The other part saw Jack hadn't dropped everything when he came in and could not bear it any longer. The silence was just a second too long. Jack stilled and looked up at Ianto. His eyes betrayed nothing of what he felt. Ianto shivered involuntarily. Jack opened his mouth and shut it again. The second time round, he succeeded. 'Ianto, I've been thinking about this.' There was no need for explaining. Ianto knew, trying to keep his breathing steady despite the fact that it became increasingly harder to breathe at all. 'After all that has happened... I think it would be better if you stayed at home for the time being. Until Owen has come up with something to fix this.' A small tremor in his voice betrayed how he felt. Ianto knew it would be useless to argue. 'Yes, sir. I'll leave my cell on in case you'll need me.'

He left. Despite the fact that it tore his heart apart, despite the fact there was nothing he'd rather do than fling himself into Jack's arms with an inordinate display of emotion, which he could do because Jack would be the only one to would witness it.

He straightened himself and walked on sturdily until he reached his car. He got in, put the key in the ignition and let go, completely.

Immediately he threatened to drown in the overwhelming multitude of sensations. Daggers were stabbing furiously at his heart, his lungs burned with the need for oxygen, his head was throbbing, as was his nose, and his eyes felt like they were on fire, with suppressed tears from both grief and allergies.

He cried, sobbed, wheezed, punched his dashboard and simply raged until the delayed allergic reaction kicked in. The hitching slowly took over the long shuddering breaths Ianto was taking. 'Heh... hiiiiiiih... huh... hiiii...hutchoo... hiiih... hiiiiiiih... hiiiiitCH...' It hurt to breathe. He struggled to force air into his lungs. He could really use his inhaler right about now. But, of course, the one time he actually needed the thing, it was a twenty-minute drive away. Even though he had not needed it since he had been about 10, he was still in the habit of having one in his medicine cabinet. Right now he thought it would have been more sensible to carry it with him. Even so, he refused to go back in and ask Owen. 'Hiiiiiiih... hiiiiiiih... huuuutchoo... hiiiih... hiiiiiiiiiiiiiih...' His chest ached. He realised, as he became increasingly dizzy, he could not keep it up for much longer.

He allowed himself a few more seconds of raging grief and total abandon. Then the mask slid back on. Between the harsh sneezes he forced himself to take deep breaths. They started out as more wheezing, but gradually changed into what they were supposed to be. His fluttering heart slowed down to a more average pace. Slowly, the sobs died down.

Finally even the sneezes stopped. It was a big relief to be able to breathe again without shooting pain in either his lungs or his head, although it did hurt to keep the mask up. It cost him so much energy... He sighed, or at least he tried to. It ended in a fit of coughing. Damn! He mentally shouted at himself for his weakness, clenched his teeth and drove home.

At his apartment, he got to work immediately. He cleaned, vacuumed, did groceries... and then there was nothing. No chores, no tasks, nothing. He allowed himself to fall back in a chair and stared into to his surroundings, he sat there until his rumbling stomach told him he needed to eat. He could hardly find it in himself to get up for it.

When had been the last time he had done anything for himself? Anything that had nothing to do with either Lisa or Torchwood?

He could not remember.

At this time, he would usually order take-out for the team, bring Jack another cup of coffee, double-check whether he had locked the tourist office...

He rarely spent time at his flat, except for a quick shower, a change of clothes and to catch a few hours of sleep. He never meant it to be lived in, at least not on his own.

Having already read the sparse books lying around and never gotten round to buying anything else to amuse himself with, he did not know what to do with himself. His laptop was still at the Hub. Everything at his apartment was functional, except for Lisa's belongings, but he found he could not look at them any more, nor throw them away for that matter.

He managed to consume a piece of toast and a cup of tea before his limbs grew heavy again and he went back to staring.

That was how Owen found him when he entered after several minutes of unanswered knocks. 'Oi, teaboy, you still alive?' Ianto jumped and nearly hit Owen. It took a moment to register what was happening. 'You should not be moving around so much with your injuries', commented Ianto. Owen grimaced. 'Jack sent me. He asked me to check on you.' He held up a medical kit. 'So, Jonesy, let me see some of that chest hair Jack's been bragging about.' Ianto mumbled something rude. Owen grinned. Then he winced. That hurt. Bloody injuries.

He did a general check-up on Ianto. Blood pressure was slightly elevated and Owen was not entirely satisfied with Ianto's lung function. That should have gone back to normal by now.

'You need something to get your lungs working properly again,' Owen stated. Ianto nodded and produced his inhaler. 'Would this suffice?' Owen looked surprised. 'Lemme see.' He took it and read the label. 'Yeah, that will do. Need any instructions?' Ianto glared at him. 'Nope.'

Owen felt at a loss. 'Well then, I'm off. Night, teaboy!'

Ianto, feeling his chest tighten again, used the tool at hand and decided to catch an early night. He was too tired to do anything anyway.

It took days before he heard anything from the team again. Owen had given him one more call, but after that, it had been dreadfully silent.

Ianto aimlessly wandered through the streets of Cardiff, stopping here and there for coffee, though hardly remembering to eat. He obsessively checked his cellphone every ten minutes throughout the day, leaving it on at night, placed next to his pillow... but it never rang.

He needed his inhaler frequently now, although he supposed it was more due to stress than anything else. Every once in a while, his feelings erupted from him like magma from a volcano. Afterwards, he cursed himself for being so mentally unstable. Most of the time, he just sat and stared.

Finally, the long awaited phone call came. It was Owen. Ianto had hoped fervently it would be Jack. He tried not to sound too disappointed, slipping on his mask as if he had never taken it off. Owen explicitly warned him not to come to the Hub, that he would go to Ianto's place. It brought on a sudden pang of feeling left out. Owen never noticed.

'Oi, tea boy, open up', came the call an hour later. Ianto was quick to open the door. Owen filled up the entrance, his arms full. He brushed past Ianto and littered his table with the stuff. Ianto suddenly felt the urge to sneeze. It was rapidly growing beyond control, but he knew if he succumbed, he would not be able to stop. He turned away and sniffled quietly into his sleeve. 'Jonesy, roll up your sleeve.' Ianto managed to look indignant. 'What? No medical chit-chat first? Just a 'roll up your sleeve'? What kind of bedside manners are that?' Despite himself, Owen chuckled. 'Very well. I've been able to synthesize something to counteract the effect of the alien aggressor, being Jack's bloody pheromones. Now I'm going to put it together from all the components that I brought and shoot it into your blood stream. Happy now?' The grin on Owen's face wasn't exactly reassuring. 'Oi, you OK?' Ianto held his thump and forefinger under his nose, his breath hitching. He was not in a state to answer that question. His other hand was busy finding his handkerchief. When he couldn't find it with his eyes half closed, he turned on his heels and fled to the kitchen. 'Huuuh... huuuh... heh... huueh...' Grabbing for the paper towels, he fought his closing eyes for just a little bit longer. 'Huuuuuuuh... huh... heeeeh... huuuutchoo huutchoo HUUUUAATCHOO... huuuuaaaaa... HUUUTCHOO... huuuuh... heh... heh... hutchoo hutchoo hutchoo...' Owen kept his distance. Damn. And he had been so careful to avoid Jack all week. Not that it really worked. Jack kept hovering over him like a vulture, questioning his every move, until Owen finally snapped. And even then he had trouble staying away. But Owen had taken a detour going to Ianto, changing into untainted clothes. Apparently, even that was insufficient.

As soon as the worst of the fit was over, Owen grabbed Ianto's arm and injected the cure.

The needle stung and his veins throbbed when Owen injected him.

His eyes were watering. Ianto was simultaneously fighting the urge to scream and the urge to sneeze. The latter won. He felt like his entire body was on fire. He still managed to grimace at Owen for a moment. 'Wha? You'd rather have strawberry flavour?' Ianto nodded, pinching his nose. 'Hutchm.' He suddenly felt like throwing up, but that feeling vanished again quickly. Owen shrugged. 'Either this or a shot of adrenaline every time you enter the Hub. And... seen from the past progression of your affliction and the way you are reacting even now, I'd say that treatment won't survive a month. So...' Another grimace. 'How long huh... until th... this stuff starts working?'

'Few minutes, maybe more. No longer than half an hour, I estimate. It's not as if I've ever done this before.' He shook his head. 'You really have the worst luck, Jonesy.'

'Huh... h-how will we know wh...whether it works?' Owen gave him a wide smile. 'Funny you ask. I found the perfect way to put that to the test.' 'Really?' Ianto raised his eyebrow in suspicion. 'Yup. I've nicked the captain's greatcoat.' His smile became even wider. 'It's in my car. As soon as you stop snivelling, I'll go and get it.' Part of Ianto was shocked that Owen had done such a thing, but most of him was excited. Soon he would inhale the delicious aroma that was uniquely Jack again. The longing inside him grew almost as painful as the substance that was coursing through his veins. He stifled another sneeze. 'Hutchm.'

When the pain had subsided a bit and he could finally utter more than two words without needing to sneeze, he asked Owen how the rest of the team was coming along.

Owen looked slightly uncomfortable. They were straying from his area of expertise. 'Tosh's recovering well. Poison is neutralized. Still pissed about her laptop though. Gwen took some time off, Jack's orders, but she's fine.' Ianto managed a weak smile. 'What about you?' He dared not ask about Jack. 'Me? You're getting sentimental Jonesy.' That earned him yet another glare. 'Fine', he grumbled, 'healing according to schedule.'

'Good.' Ianto felt a knot in his chest loosen. He had been worried sick about Toshiko. Until that moment he had not realised how much it had bothered him.

Then he realised he had stopped sneezing completely. 'Owen? You can get the coat now.'

It had worked. He clutched the coat, inhaling deeply, and he could still breathe. More or less at the very least. His respiratory system did not seem to be on his side. Ianto choked back a sob and tried not to wheeze. He gave Owen the thumbs up. He was allowed to come in to work if he had not reacted to the coat by noon.

Owen left.

Ianto kept clutching the coat to his chest, unwilling to let go. It smelled so strongly of Jack. He could hardly breathe, but this time it was from forcing back the tears that threatened to escape. He refused to look like a mess when Jack would lay his eyes on him that afternoon, after all these days...

At noon exactly, Ianto entered the tourist office. At two minutes past, he was down in the Hub. Immediately, his eyes locked on to Jack. In his right hand, he held the coat. Resolute, he marched into Jack's office, hung the coat on the rack and kissed Jack. He did not care who could see them. If he had to go one more minute without touching Jack... he did not think he could bear that. It took Jack no more than five seconds to recover from the initial shock and kiss Ianto with a matching hunger. It vaguely registered that Ianto had lost some weight, causing his suit to be even more close-cut. It was all he could do not to tear it off and have him there and then.

Finally, they broke away panting, still holding on to the other. 'Completely cured?' Jack asked tenderly. 'Owen thinks I am.' The smile Ianto gave him was dazzling. Jack's eyes gleamed and sparkled with a mix of emotions.

'I will miss how you shake against me when you sneeze, though', Jack half-joked some time later to break the rising tension between them. Ianto smiled the smile that made Jack's knees go weak. 'Oh, you might not have to. There are other ways to reach that effect.' From behind his back, he produced a long feather. Jack raised his eyebrow, his eyes darkening. When he spoke, his voice was thick with lust. 'O yeah?' Ianto nodded slowly. 'Yup.'


End file.
